27 June, 2014

The Great American Road Trip, Part 2

We continued to explore the state of Montana as we headed in the direction of Yellowstone National Park. We traveled from Glendive through Billings and stopped at Pictograph Caves there. It was an interesting stop, the pictographs were thought to be painted on stone surfaces in the cave by the Crow and Lakota tribes who resided in that region. The pigment used on the paintings is derived from the mineral hematite which was ground up and mixed with animal fat, blood, berries and water and applied to the stone with a stick. Carbon dating indicates that these drawings have remained since between 1480 and 1650 A.D. they've been protected from thousands of years' worth of erosion and wind due to the sheltered nature of the cave itself.

Pictograph images, barely discernable today, in Pictograph Cave.

Pictograph Caves Park ~ Billings, MT

Since we were in Billings it was time for another quilt shop stop; Fiberworks was a treat for the eyes! The shop itself is large and expansive, boasting soaring ceilings and magnificent quilt displays on every wall and suspended from above. There was a large shipping area and classroom on one side where the ever-welcoming resident Yellow Lab greeted visitors with friendly tail wagging. The vibrant owner, Laura Heine, was quilting on her custom painted, hot pink, Gammill in the longarm room while I was there. The shop had an extensive fabric and notions selection and stand out quilts to ogle: completed "Dear Jane", "Civil War Love Letters" and applique sampler from an Edyta Sitar pattern competed for my attention. Visting this shop was like attending a top-notch quilt show!

The next morning saw us bound for Yellowstone via the Beartooth Scenic Byway, this might just be the prettiest drive I have ever been on... hands down.

The Byway hadn't been open to traffic all that long, only a few weeks; there was still plenty of snow!

We passed into Wyoming and the snow started getting deeper and deeper...

Hannes (and Dad) help give perspective to the depth of snow remaining on the 2nd of June!

We saw plenty of Yellow Bellied Marmots along the roadside as we drove.

As we neared the end of the Beartooth Byway we stopped so that I could get outof the car and take this picture; it might just be my favorite shot of the entire trip; reflecting the pristine natural beauty of that surrounded us at every turn.Life is Good!

I am loving your trip and am glad you are sharing it. Looks like a very fun quilt shop!Wow! So much snow, still--and if you had headed to Glacier National Park, the road that cuts through it (Going to the Sun Highway) would probably still have been closed, due to snow.Can't wait for Yellowstone. That has been a family favorite vacation spot since I was a little girl. We continued to take our kids there every 2 or 3 years.That final shot is breathtaking!

Loving this travel log and thank you for sharing. I love snow (even after the winter we had here in Northern Michigan ... 260" of snow!!!). I believe Laura Heine had a fabric line out a few seasons ago ... beautiful florals on black background and my stash surely still has some samples. What a great adventure! Hanes looks like he's enjoying it, too!